‘Everybody’s focused on winning’: Julius Randle says these Nets have no reason to tank

The Nets’ season began the way the last three ended, with a home loss to Charlotte, but Julius Randle says the message inside the locker room is different now, Brian Lewis writes. Brooklyn won 32, 26 and 20 games the past three seasons, finishing near the bottom of the East each time.

“Since I’ve been here, everybody’s focused on winning. It’s not like we’re putting development at the forefront,” Randle said. “Obviously we’re all trying to get better and develop, but it’s what does it take every single day to come in and do the right things to win basketball games.”

There is a practical reason for the urgency. The Nets have to swap their 2027 first-round pick with Houston if Brooklyn’s pick is more favorable, so there is nothing to be gained from another season of losing. The schedule offers little relief: Wednesday’s opener may have been their best chance at a win for a while, with the next six games against projected Eastern Conference playoff teams, Lewis points out. “You want to start off the season right,” Moritz Wagner said. “Having a good start to the season, whether it’s one game or five games, means a lot.”

Randle is also enjoying the trust coach Jordi Fernandez is showing in his playmaking, Lewis adds. On a roster filled with young point guards, Randle led the team in assists during the preseason. “I’m still getting the rhythm of it, understanding the timing of things, like what I’m looking for, angles, all the different types of stuff,” he said. “But I’m getting more and more comfortable with it every single day.”

Lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. played 20 minutes off the bench on Wednesday on a minutes restriction after dealing with a sprained left ankle during the preseason, C.J. Holmes reports. Fernandez said the organization will be careful about Brown’s workload, viewing him as an important part of the team’s future. Noah Clowney, meanwhile, is back in a reserve role behind Randle after starting 60 games last season, with the Nets pushing him to become a better rebounder after he averaged 4.1 per game and the team finished 30th in the league. “He can be better and he will be better,” Fernandez said.